


The Vampires' Mansion

by RayTheZoroark



Category: Original Work
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-04-27 21:31:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14434491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayTheZoroark/pseuds/RayTheZoroark
Summary: Alexander is forced to move, with his mother, into a mansion owned by a family of vampires. During his last year of school, trouble begins to brew as old enemies surface,  new friends are made, and promises are broken. Now he must choose: Will he run again, or will he finally face them?





	1. Prologue

Hundreds of years ago, a mob gathering outside Elaina's house would have been a bad thing.  
A rock whizzed by her face, narrowly missing her as it slammed against the wall beside her before ricocheting off.  
Hundreds of years later, and only one thing had changed.  
Monsters were no longer in hiding.  
Barely thirty years ago, monsters decided to reveal themselves to humankind. Most monsters believed that, because of the changes that mankind had undergone over the years, that they would be accepted. Others, who were more pragmatic, simply knew it was impossible to stay hidden.  
This revelation brought mixed reactions from the human populace. Many were frightened, and demanded the government to take measures to protect its citizens. Others believed that they could coexist peacefully with the monsters. And yet others wondered if all the tales about the monsters were true, and if those abilities could be replicated.  
This led to riots. Some in favor of the monsters, and the much larger portion against them. Many monsters died in the ensuing years. Finally, after five long years of politics, the nations ruled in favor of the monsters, granting them many of the same privileges humans themselves enjoyed. This, however, did not deter many people from trying to force monsters to leave their cities or towns.  
Another rock smashing into the wall beside Elaina drew her out of her revery, and back onto the balcony upon which she stood. She turned her head to look at the perpetrator, only to spot something out of the corner of her eye. Turning once again, she spotted a boy, about her age, standing away from the mob, leaning on one of the gates leading to the manor in which she lived. His eyes swapped between her and the mob, a frown etched onto his features. When he noticed her looking at him, he stood up, nodded to her, and, turning, ran off.  
A hand gripping her shoulder drew her attention away from the rapidly receding figure.  
"Come away from the balcony, dear," Elaina's mother said, pulling her along as she shut the doors to the balcony.  
"They're throwing rocks again," Elaina complained.  
"We've already alerted the police. They should be here any minute." Her mother soothed.  
Elaina shook her head, giving a sigh as she pulled away from her mother's grip. "And do what? Run them off? They'll be back again." She sat down at the study table that was situated in the room. Her mother sat down next to her, and took her hand.  
"You must be patient," Her mother soothed, "eventually, the humans will understand that we don't mean any harm, and they'll leave us alone."  
Just then, a servant came in, stepped up to her mother, and whispered something in her ear. Her mother nodded, and stood up.  
"I'm sorry, dear. I must take care of something." She immediately took her leave.  
"We can only hope," Elaina sighed, and stared out the window at the mob below.  
Eventually, the police did show up, and the mob scattered. As Elaina had predicted, the police didn't do much. One went so far as to scowl in the direction of the manor before the police leave.

~~~~That Evening, At Dinner~~~~

"Honey, why aren't you eating?" Elaina's mother leaned towards her, worry etched onto her features.  
Elaina shrugged. "Not really hungry..."  
Before more could be said, Elaina's father walked in.  
"Well," He began, "it appears that we'll be having some guests tonight." He seemed cheerful.  
His wife's eyes brightened. "Wendy has accepted our proposal?"  
Her husband gave a nod in answer, and she nearly screamed in delight. Elaina, however, was lost.  
"Who's Wendy?"  
Her mother immediately turned to her.  
'Wendy is a friend of ours, from back in the day. Well, about twenty years ago, that is. We've kept in touch, and recently Wendy has been looking for a place to stay. They had a little...trouble at the last place they were at, so your father offered to house them in our guest rooms until they could get a house for themselves."  
Elaina assumed "they" meant Wendy and her husband.  
"Tonight?" Elaina asked, shocked that she hadn't been told sooner.  
Her father shrugged, an apology in his eyes. "The people she was going to stay with backd out on her, so she turned to us. I said yes. They'll be arriving in an hour, so be sure you're ready."  
"An hour?!" Elaina exclaimed, and, standing up, dashed out of the dining room to get ready.  
Mr. Valdaren turned to his wife, a smile playing on his lips.  
"Is she bringing her son?" His wife asked.  
He nodded.  
"This ought to be interesting."

~~~~An Hour Later~~~~

Elaina and Mrs. Valdaren stood in front of their manor as the waited for their guests to arrive. Elaina had opted to, having never met these people before, change into more casual attire, which consisted of a white blouse and blue jeans.  
For the third time, her mother looked over at her, slight disappointment on her face.  
"I wish you had worn something a little more...charming. I don't want Wendy to think that we've raised you to-oh! there they are!" She broke off, noticing the black car pull into their driveway. The car stopped just inside of the driveway, where Mr. Valdaren leaned down, and seemed to speak to the one driving the car. After a couple of seconds, and some nodding, the back doors opened, and a middle aged woman stepped out, wearing a brown shawl wrapped around a lighter brown blouse, which ended in a dark brown skirt. To Elaina's surprise, instead of a middle aged man following her out, a rather young man stepped out, green eyes darting around as he surveyed the lawn that he now stood on, whilst his hands slid down his grey shirt to pat his blue jeans, as though he had forgotten something. As her father continued to converse with the driver and the woman, who Elaina assumed was Wendy, Elaina turned her eyes to the young male. There was something familiar abou-  
Then it hit her. It was him! The one who was standing away from the mob!  
Her thoughts were shattered by her mother.  
"Shall we say hello, Elaina?"  
Elaina stared at the teen for a few more moments, then nodded.  
"Of course."

~~~~Meanwhile~~~~

"I didn't expect it to be quite so big..." Alexander heard his mother exclaim as he stepped out of the vehicle. He shook his head, and finally found what he had been searching his pockets for. He pulled out the card, and quickly read the names on it again. Then he stuffed the card back into his pocket.  
His mother turned to him.  
"Now, sweetie, I know this isn't the best of arrangements for you, but...I hope you try to act excited. Can you do that for me?"  
Alexander rolled his eyes. Before he could make a sarcastic remark however, he noticed two people approaching.  
From the card he'd been looking at just previously, he assumed the older one was Mrs. Valdaren, and the other was Elaina. He was proven right mere moments later.  
"Oh, Freida! How great to see you again!" Wendy rushed forward, and the two women embraced for a moment, before separating again. As they did, the man, who Alexander assumed was Mr. Valdaren, finished talking to the driver, and approached the two ladies. Wendy immediately released the woman to embrace the man.  
"And Patrick! Oh, how I've missed you both!"  
Despite not knowing each other, Alexander and Elaina exchanged awkward glances as they waited while their parents caught up.  
After a while, his mother turned to the girl.  
"And is this Elaina? My, how she's grown!"  
Mrs. Valdaren turned to Alexander. "And is this Alexander? How old is he? Eighteen, nineteen?"  
"Seventeen." His mother corrected.  
"What a coincidence! So is Elaina!"  
Oh god, Alexander thought.  
This immediately turned even more awkward for the teens. Thankfully, the subject was not breached further and, after Mr. Valdaren ordered some of the servants to take Alexander and his mother's bags, the group headed inside.

~~~~Many Droll Hours Later~~~~

Alexander nearly laughed in relief as he closed the door to his room, and sank against it. After having to endure several hours of his mother talking with her friends, he was finally allowed to go to his room, which a servant showed him to. He surveyed the room from his position against the door. The room was rather large, consisting of a Queen sized bed nestled in one corner, a desk, presumably for work, in another corner, large double doors which were open, revealing that they led to a walk in closet, near the bed, and another door, which presumably led to a bathroom. Situated across from the bed was a large dresser.  
"Damn," Alexander exclaim, whistling as he slowly stood from his position. This room was easily bigger than their living room back at the last house they lived in. He grimaced as memories flooded his mind, and instead turned his attention to the suitcases on his bed. Opening one, he pulled out some of his shirts and hung them in the closet. Taking his time, he slowly unpacked his things into their appropriate placing, still marveling at the size of everything.  
Just as he was putting away the last of his clothes, a knock turned his attention to the door. He put the last thing away, and made his way to the door. Opening it revealed Elaina, a couple of towels folded neatly in her arms. She held them out to him.  
"My mother told me to make sure you got these. Said she'd forgotten to put some in the bathroom."  
Alexander looked down at them for a second, then back up at her. His eyes narrowed slightly as a thought struck him.  
"Why didn't she ask one of the servants to do it?" He asked slowly.  
Elaina gave him a look, as though the answer should be obvious.  
"She also asked if you were settling in okay."  
Alexander shrugged. "As well as I can, I suppose. Not used to living with...vampires, but I suppose I'll get used to it." He said vampires like he wasn't used to saying the word.  
Her lips curled into a devilish smile, drawing his attention to the two pointed teeth that trademarked her species.  
"I'm sure you'll be all right." As she turned to go, she looked back over her shoulder at him. "We don't bite...much."


	2. First Day of School

A knock at the door woke Alexander up. rubbing his eyes as he got up, he trudged to the door, cracking it open to find his mother, who was dressed and ready for the day.  
"Yes?" Alexander asked, once again rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  
"Hurry up or you'll miss your first day of school!" His mother exclaimed.  
Alexander groaned and looked over at the alarm clock sitting on his nightstand. It read 7:15. He turned back to his mother.  
"Mom, its 7:15. School doesn't start til 8:00."  
His mother smiled, as though she knew something he didn't. Then she said, "You better hurry!" and left. Alexander groaned again, and closed the door.

Fifteen minutes later, and he trudged down the stairs, yawning as he walked over to his mother, who was speaking to Mrs. Valdaren. They both turned to greet him.  
"You'd best get to walking." His mother told him.  
He nodded, and, with a sigh, started for the door.  
"I've asked my daughter to walk you to school," Mrs. Valdaren called after him. He sighed again as he stepped outside and closed the door. Sure enough, Elaina was leaning against the very fence he'd been leaning against the previous day. He walked up to her, and she stood up to greet him.  
'Well, since I'll be walking you to school..." Elaina started, and held out her books to him. He stared at them, then at her, one eyebrow raised.  
"In exchange for my help, you'll be carrying my books."  
Alexander sighed. He could always turn down Elaina's "help," but he knew that if he did, and word got back to his mother and Mrs. Valdaren, well, things wouldn't look good.  
And so, with another heavy sigh, he grabbed her books from her, and they started on their way to school.  
"So..." Elaina began as they started towards the school.  
"A needle pulling thread," Alexander grumbled.  
"What?" She turned to look at him.  
"Nothing."  
She shrugged. "Okay...what's your favorite subject?"  
"Biology. I hear we'll be dissecting a Vampire this year." He said it with no emotion in his voice.  
She turned to look at him again. Then she rolled her eyes and gave a sigh. "No, seriously."  
"...Calculus, I guess."  
"Ugh, seriously? I hate Calculus!"  
He shrugged, shifting his arms to get a better grip on the books he was carrying.  
She shook her head as they walked, as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing.  
"You mean to tell me that you enjoy letters with your numbers?"  
A slight smile played at Alexander's lips. "Actually, that's Algebra. Calculus is way more complex than just letters and numbers."  
She shook her head again, and they continued in silence for a while.  
"So where you from?" She asked after a while.  
He was silent for so long, she began to wonder if he'd heard her. Just as she opened her mouth to ask again, he answered her.  
"Darneka."  
She tilted her head, trying to remember where that was.  
"That's a decent ways from here."  
He shrugged in reply. Then he glanced at her.  
"If there's something you actually want to ask, why don't you just ask it?" He asked her.  
She blinked. "Oh, well..."  
She trailed off. She wasn't expecting him to be so straight forward, and it was a little disarming. She gathered her thoughts for a moment.  
"What were you doing at the manor yesterday?" She finally asked.  
He was silent for a few moments. "Observing."  
She looked at him incredulously. "Observing? You were watching a mob vandalize a house!"  
He shrugged. "At the time, I didn't know I would be staying at the manor. I took a walk around town while my mother sought a place for us to stay, and I stumbled upon the mob."  
She blinked. "....Why didn't you throw rocks?" There was no sarcasm, or venom in her voice, only curiosity.  
He shrugged once more. "I don't think monsters are as bad as people make them out to be. Besides, taking my mother's heavy involvement in the monsters rights movement, it'd have been hard for me to have grown up anti-monster. All that aside, I can't stand it when people treat other beings like trash just because they look different."  
She nodded, taking his word for it. "I understand. But the truth of the matter is, we are different. We don-"  
"Do you breathe?" He cuts in.  
Before she could answer, he continued,  
"Do you sleep? Eat? Drink? Bleed? Die?" He paused between each question for only a moment before continuing. "Do you have a soul? Somewhere you'll spend your eternity?"  
He shook his head. "No, it is not okay. I'm tired of all the discrimination!"  
His outburst startled her, and she just stared at him while he calmed himself. She narrowed her eyes. There was something more here. There must be a reason he felt so passionate about this. She shrugged, dismissing the thought as she spotted the school coming into view. Quickly, she snatched her books from him. He raised one of his eyebrows as she did.  
"I don't want everyone else to get the wrong idea," She says quickly, quickening her pace slightly. "Now follow me."  
He shrugged, and, adjusting his own bag to its original position, he quickly followed her.  
As they walked across the school's grounds, Alexander noticed more than one person staring at Elaina as she passed. Their eyes would quickly divert to him, however, and they'd look at him with interest. He was thankful when they stepped inside, allowing him to avoid most of their gazes. Elaina quickly led him through a series of halls, then stopped in front of a door. Then she turned to him, pulling out a sheet of paper and handing it to him.  
"This is your schedule. Don't lose it. I'm not in your first period, but I'll see you second period. If you need help finding where it is, talk to Rebecca. She should be in your class. Look for the girl with the wild hair." And with that, Elaina disappeared down the hall. Alexander stared after her for a moment, then headed inside the classroom. The first thing he noticed when he stepped in was just how many students were in the class. He stood there in shock for a moment, until he noticed a man walking up to him. Then man was wearing a light brown suit, complete with a darker brown tie.  
"You must be the new student," He greeted him, extending his hand.  
"I am," Alexander affirmed, taking the man's hand.  
The man nodded. "I'm Mr. Richardson. I'll be your first period Literature teacher."  
Their conversation was interrupted by the bell, which signaled the start of the first period.  
Mr. Richardson told Alexander to stay put, then addressed the class as they took their seats.  
"As I'm sure most of you are aware, we have a new student who will be joining us for the rest of the year. Please make sure to make Alexander Ashton feel welcome." He pointed Alexander the only empty seat in the room, which just so happened to be situated near the back. He immediately took his seat, and realized that the person sitting on his right fit Elaina's description of Rebecca. She was wearing a rather plain brown shirt, as well as ratty blue jeans. And wild was an understatement when it came to her hair. Her hair stuck up at random intervals, like she didn't bother to brush it, which, she probably didn't. His eyes narrowed, and he studied her for a few seconds, after which he nodded, and looked back at the teacher, who was busy writing something on the board. When the teacher was done, he turned back to the class.  
"If you would turn to page 132 of the textbook, we may begin. Now, Mark Twain was not the man's real name, but a pen name he used. You see..."  
After class, Alexander waited outside the room for the wild haired girl. As soon as he spotted her, he greeted her.  
"You're Rebecca, right?" Alexander asked.  
She turned to examine him for a moment.  
"Alexander?" She asked.  
"Yeah."  
"What is it that you want?"  
"Elaina told me that, if I needed help finding my second period classroom, I should ask you."  
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Of course she would."  
Alexander shrugged. "It's not like you have to."  
Rebecca sighed. "Actually, I owe her a favor. But, it seems odd to me that she'd use her favor just to take you to your class..." She trailed off, obviously lost in thought.  
"Not to rush you, or anything, but I'd prefer not to be not to my classes today."  
Rebecca shook her head, and nodded. "Of course. The classroom is this way."

_~~~~Later, At Lunch~~~~_

Alexander followed Elaina as they sat down with their lunches.  
"....What...exactly is this?" Alexander asked as he prodded the white lump on his plate.  
Elaina snorted in amusement as she watched Alexander toy with his food, but before she could answer, Rebecca took a seat beside her, setting her tray down as well.  
"I believe it used to be some kind of discernable food." Rebecca said.  
Looking at her tray, Alexander noticed that instead of the strange lump that most of the students had received, Rebecca had a rather large piece of chicken on her plate.  
"...I see you've managed to procure some actually edible food." Alexander noted.  
"I'm not eating that slop!" Rebecca exclaimed, eyeing his plate with disdain.  
"Makes sense. Werewolves need at least twice the amount of iron a normal human needs per day."  
Rebecca stared at him in shock. "How did yo-"  
"Multiple reasons." Alexander interrupted. "First, you're Elaina's friend, and while that in and of itself does not deduce that one fact, take into account your hair, the way you dress, and the fact that, despite that me and Elaina are seated with a wall in between us and the line, and you still managed to find us rather quickly, and it became quite obvious to me relatively quickly."  
Rebecca and Elaina stared at him dumbfounded as he looked at them for a second before taking a bite of his food, regretting it almost immediately. He slowly swallowed it, then pushed his tray away.  
Rebecca, meanwhile, had grown a smirk on her face, and eventually burst out laughing.  
"Oh man, where did you find this guy?" She said after she'd finally calmed down, turning to Elaina with the still amused smirk on her face.  
Elaina shrugged. "He and his mother will be living with my family until proper accommodations can be made for them."  
"Seriously? He's living with you?"  
"Yeah."  
"Under the same roof?"  
"Yeah."  
Rebecca's smirk widened. "I see."  
Elaina glared at her, and Rebecca put her hands up in surrender.  
"All right. All right. Whatever." She was interrupted when Alexander stood up.  
"Thanks for the...interesting conversation, but I have a class I'd rather not be late for, so I'll see you both later." He nodded to them, and then took his tray and left. As soon as he was out of earshot, Rebecca turned to Elaina.  
"No," Elaina spoke before Rebecca could say a word.  
"What? Not even a-"  
"No."  
"I can tell you like him."  
Elaina remained silent.  
Rebecca shook her head. "You better make a pass at him soon. Because with looks like that, he won't go a week without someone asking him out. I guarantee it."  
Elaina snorted.  
Rebecca's smirk, if it were possible, got even wider. "What, don't believe me? How about we bet on it, then?"

~~~~After School~~~~

Alexander groaned as he exited the school. Despite this being his first day of school, that hadn't prevented the teachers from giving everyone a large workload. Just as he turned onto the sidewalk to begin the walk back to the Valdaren manor, movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned his attention to it, and realized that it was Elaina, and she was talking to two other girls.  
Or, they were doing most of the talking. Alexander narrowed his eyes, and made his way over. As he did, he finally managed to hear their conversation.  
"...erve to be here," one of the girls was saying.  
"Yeah, no one wants you here, so why don't you just leave?" The other girl continued.  
Alexander expected Elaina to say some cutting remark, but she just stood there, head bowed as she tried to get past them. They, however, blocked every attempt she made.  
"What's going on here?" Alexander asked loudly as he approached the girls from behind, although he knew perfectly well what was happening. The two startled girls jumped, then whipped around to face him, only relaxing when they realized who he was.  
"Oh, well if it isn't the new kid," one said.  
"Indeed. Kinda handsome, isn't he?" The other agreed.  
"We saw you arrive at school with the freak over there," the first girl spoke.  
"Why don't you ditch her, and come home with us instead?" The other agreed, moving forward to take Alexander's arm.  
Alexander noticed Elaina look up, and for the first time saw tears in her eyes as she looked at him in worry.  
He looked at the two girls. "Thanks, but no thanks."  
The expressions on their faces instantly turned sour. "Fine," the first commented, turning to leave, "have fun with the freak."  
Alexander sighed as he took a step closer to Elaina once the girls were out of sight. "You all right?"  
"Yeah." She seemed confused, and her question a few moments later confirmed it. "Why did you help me? Is it because my parents let you live in their house?"  
"No," he answered, "it's because I care. I hate seeing people get bullied."  
Her eyes became downcast again, then she looked at him once more, a pleading expression on them. "Please, don't tell my parents. I don't want them to worry."  
Alexander nodded. "Of course." He then turned, gesturing for her to take the lead. "Shall we head home, then?"


	3. Meetings That Matter

**Author's Notes: So yeah. I've put up two chapters, so I guess I'll say a few words here. First off, this is a work in progress, so I'm open to any suggestions. Secondly, The updates are going to come a little slower from now on, about two weeks per update. I have other stories I'm working on at another forum, so I need to put a little work there now. Either way, I hope you've enjoyed reading what I've written, and continue enjoying this work. Now, please, read on!**

"So, why aren't we eating at the cafeteria again?" Alexander asked as Elaina led him and Rebecca down the street.  
"Um, because the cafeteria's food, if you can call it that, sucks." Elaina answered, increasing her speed slightly when she spotted the building she was looking for.  
"I'd have been fine either way." Rebecca smirked at her own comment.  
"Hey, no one asked for comments from the peanut gallery." Elaina glared at Rebecca, as she stopped in front of the restaurant. Alexander turned to look at it, and read the name aloud.  
"The Monster Mash?" He shook his head. "By the gods..."  
"What?" Elaina turned to look at him with an innocent smile on her face. "It's cheap, well named, and within walking distance from the school. Wouldn't want you to be late to any of your classes on your second day of school, now would we?"  
Alexander shook his head again, but reached forward to open the door anyway. Giving an exaggerated bow, he said, "ladies first."  
Elaina rolled her eyes, but led the way inside. It was a quaint restaurant, albeit small. And, as the name suggested, the staff entirely consisted of monsters. The cashier had small horns jutting out of her head, and Alexander could see a tail sprouting from one of the cooks.  
"Why don't you work here, Elaina?" Alexander asked her, a small smile playing at his lips. "You'd fit right at home."  
She rolled her eyes, then approached the register. The woman manning the cash register smiled as Elaina walked up.  
"Ah, Elaina! The usual, I presume?"  
Elaina nodded. "This time I'd like four if you don't mind." She gestured to Alexander and Rebecca, causing the cashier to nod.  
"Four Monster Burger Deluxe combo meals coming right up! That'll be four gold pieces, please."  
After Elaina handed her the money, the three students took the seats nearest the door.  
"Monster Burger Deluxe Combo?" Alexander asked Elaina the minute they sat down.  
"What? They're good!" Elaina defended herself.  
Alexander glanced at Rebecca, who merely shrugged.  
"They are edible," she offered.  
Elaina pulled her phone out, and began typing furiously. After a few moments, she fist pumped.  
"Yes!" She exclaimed.  
"Is Mary coming?" Rebecca asked.  
"She just texted me that she was on her way!" Elaina answered, smiling gleefully as she put her phone away.  
"Who's Mary?" Alexander asked.  
"Mary is Elaina's cousin," Rebecca answered, "but she's....different."  
"Different? Different how?"  
Rebecca smirked. "You'll see."  
Just then, the door to the restaurant opened, and in stepped a girl. She wore a black dress, which fell down to her knees, and a cloak to match. She had red eyes and black, short cropped hair. Her extremely pale skin identified her as a vampire. The girl immediately made her way over to the group.  
"'Bout time you got here, Mary," Elaina joked.  
Mary shook her head and rolled her eyes. "If you wanted me to be 'punctual,' then you should've texted me an hour ago."  
Rebecca chuckled. "Since when did you care about being punctual?"  
"Since you started hanging out with humans, I suppose," came Mary's reply as she glanced at Alexander.  
"This is Alexander. He and his mother are staying at Elaina's until they can find a more permanent home."  
Alexander nodded to Mary, his eyes slightly narrowed in thought. She nodded back, then turned back to Elaina.  
"This is why you wanted me to come? Wanted to wave your boyfriend in my face?"  
"We're not together!" Both Alexander and Elaina shouted at the same time.  
"Mmhmm," Mary folded her arms, staring at Elaina like she didn't believe her.  
"Gonna have to give that one to Mary, Elaina. That wasn't very convincing," Rebecca chimed in.  
They were interrupted by the cashier approaching with a tray of food. She set it down on the table, and left.  
Mary smirked, and grabbed up one of the burgers. "What is it with you and this place anyway, Elaina? You always want to meet here."  
Elaina shrugged, and grabbed one of the containers of fries. "They have good food. What can I say?"  
Mary shrugged, and took the only unoccupied seat, which was beside Alexander. She turned to examine him for a moment.  
Noticing her stare, he turned to her. "What?"  
She shook her head. "Nothing. Just wondering why Elaina would decide that she wanted to hang out with you."  
Elaina chimed in. "I've told you, he's sta-"  
Mary cut her off. "That doesn't mean that you have to hang out with him. In fact, most people avoid strange people who are staying in their homes."  
Alexander shook his head and chuckled. "You're a vampire, but I'm the strange one?"  
A grin found its way onto Mary's face. "Touche. "  
Elaina shrugged. "He seemed nice enough."  
If possible, Mary's smirk grew wider. "Nice enough? You'd have to hang out with him to find that out."  
"And that is why I chose to invite him."  
Suddenly, Alexander stood up. "Well, as lovely as the conversation is, I need to get back to school. You might want to think about that soon, too." And he promptly left.  
Everyone looked down at his spot, and noticed that he was done eating.  
Rebecca was the first to speak. "...That was fast."  
Elaina nodded in agreement. "Indeed."  
Mary, however, saw her opening. "Now that he's gone, I can speak plainly. Do you like him?"  
"Rebecca asked the same thing, and I've already answered. No."  
Mary crossed her arms again. "Still not very convincing."  
Elaina's gaze hardened. "Well then, it's a good thing that I don't have to convince you for it to be true, isn't it?"  
Mary rolled her eyes. "Elaina, it's written all over your face everytime you speak to him."  
Elaina opened her mouth to say something, then decided against it. Instead, she said, "We just met. It'd be weird."  
Rebecca smirked, then turned to Mary. "Elaina and I have a bet on how long it'll take before he's approached by a girl."  
Mary chuckled. "Can I get in on it?"

~~~~Meanwhile, With Alexander~~~~

He didn't understand what it was with girls. Even when there was food to be eaten, they still insisted on speaking about relationships. Why was it so hard to drop a subject that two of the participants in the conversation clearly didn't want to talk about?  
He shrugged. Thinking about it was pointless. Regardless of how long he thought about it, girls still made no sense to him. He figured that held true for all guys.  
He sighed as he came into view of the school. Putting the recent events from his mind, he made his way towards the front doors. He was intercepted, however, when someone stepped in front of him. She was wearing a white blouse and a sky blue skirt. She had green eyes, as well as long, wavy blonde hair down to the small of her back.  
"Hello, Alexander," She greeted him.   
He nodded to her. "Did you want something?"  
She smirked, putting a hand on her hip. "I noticed that you arrived both today and yesterday with that vampire girl."  
"And?" Alexander folded his arms.  
"And I'd be careful if I were you. You wouldn't want to ruin your image before you even get one, would you?"  
Alexander stared at her, saying nothing, and so she carried on. "I mean, think about it. If you were seen talking to her around school, people might get the wrong idea. I think it'd be best if you distanced yourself from her."  
Alexander balled his fists tightly. She was one of those people.  
"Thank you for your concern, but I think I can tell what is right and wrong for myself." He brushed past her, and headed inside. The girl stared after him, then turned to leave. As she did, she spotted Elaina and Rebecca standing a couple of feet away. By the looks on their faces, they had heard the conversation. Narrowing her eyes, she marched up to the pair.  
"Listen here, and listen closely," The girl spoke to Elaina, "Alexander is mine."  
Elaina stared at her for a moment , one eyebrow raised, before replying. "I think that's his decision to make, Gabriella."  
Gabriella gave a huff, an stormed away.   
As soon as she was out of earshot, Rebecca whistled. "Well, I hate to say I told you so, bu-"  
"Don't. Just...don't." Elaina took a step towards the door, but stopped when Rebecca spoke.  
"He seems to enjoy your company, Elaina."  
Elaina turned to look at her before replying. "What? Because he turned down the bitch?"  
Rebecca sighed. "Now that she's decided she wants him, it'll never be easy. She thinks she's entitled to anything she wants. You know how she is. She enjoys taking things other people want. Remember Silena and Frederick?"  
Elaina's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I remember." And without another word, she headed inside.


	4. Questions

It was the weekend. Alexander wasn't sure what he enjoyed doing more during the weekend: sleeping in, loafing around, or taking a walk. As of right now, he was taking a walk. It was the first time he'd had the time to actually explore the town, and he was enjoying every moment. The town had a sizable mall, a few dozen restaurants, and even had a game corner. There was even a bowling alley. He filed this information away for later, and continued his walk. He'd managed to find his way into the town's park, and was relishing the scenery the park provided.  
"Hey, Alexander!"  
His moment of euphoria was shattered by a voice he knew only all too well. He turned and regarded the perpetrator with a look of slight interest to mask his annoyance at the interruption.  
"What is it, Rebecca?"  
Apparently, he did not mask his annoyance well enough, because Rebecca gave him a strange look.  
"Something wrong? I interrupt something?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.  
"Nah, just enjoying the now ruined moment," He replied. "Did you need something?"  
She regarded him a moment longer, perhaps to ascertain if he was being serious or not. Ultimately, however, she shook her head. "No, not really. Was taking a walk in the park, and I saw you, so I figured I'd come say hi."  
Alexander raised an eyebrow at her. "Taking a walk through the park?" He asked.  
"Yeah, so? I imagine that's what you're doing."  
"Not as dangerous for me." He responded dryly.  
She stared at him a moment. Then smiled. "Whatever."  
He smiled in return. "Still though, can't have poor, defenseless Rebecca running around on her own, can we? She might get mobbed. Then what would we do?"  
She rolled her eyes. "I believe I can take care of myself, though I cannot say I'd loathe the companionship."  
He finally cracked, giving a short laugh before replying, "I have no doubt of that. But if you insist, I'll accompany you until the end of your stroll. We shall return home at your leisure."  
She tried hard, and failed, to suppress her growing smile as they began walking together on the paved path.  
"So," She started after a few minutes, "how did you enjoy your first week?"  
He shrugged. "I don't know, really. I guess it was nice having someone there to help me integrate myself into the school. I've never really been one to make friends quickly, especially considering we move a lot, but I guess it's been good...so far."  
She nodded. "And what of Elaina?"  
"What of her?"  
"Well, you live in the same house as her. Don't tell me you haven't thought about her...that way, because I wouldn't believe you if you did."  
He shrugged again. "She's got looks, sure. But to me, looks aren't the only piece in the equation."  
Rebecca smirked. "Yeah. I realized that from your conversation with Gabriella."  
He turned to regard her briefly before turning his attention back to the park. "You heard?"  
She nodded, though he couldn't see it. "Quite the speech. Think Elaina was about to faint when you said what you did."  
Alexander rolled his eyes. "I see. That's your play."  
"What?"  
"You enjoy this, don't you?" He turned to look at her.  
She smiled innocently. "Enjoy what?"  
"Toying with people's feelings."  
She shrugged, her smile only widening as she continued walking. "Maybe a little."  
He jogged to catch up. "I'd tell you to stop, but I think that'd have the opposite effect."  
She laughed. "You learn people well, Alexander. I believe I'm beginning to like talking to you."  
He rolled his eyes again, though a smile appeared on his face as well. "Only beginning to?"  
She rolled her eyes as well, but ignored the question, for they had reached the entrance to the park again. "As enlightening a conversation as that one was, this, I'm afraid, is where we part ways, for now."  
He nodded. "It was...interesting talking to you."  
Her smile never left her face. "I do try. See you Monday." She waved as she left. He waved back, and turned back to walk along the road headed towards the manor. She, however, turned to walk the other way. Almost immediately she was joined by another girl.  
"So?" The other girl asked impatiently.  
Rebecca smiled. "Mary, in the seventeen years you've known me, how many times has your prompting gotten you what you wanted from me any sooner than I wanted to give it?"  
Mary rolled her eyes. "Never, but I know you're dying to talk about it."  
Rebecca shrugged. "Not much to say. He definitely has wit, and incredible stamina. I don't think he noticed that he was practically jogging to keep up with me."  
It was Mary's turn to shrug. "Maybe. I'm more interested in what he had to say regarding Elaina and Gabriella than guessing regarding his heightened endurance."  
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Yes yes yes, I'm getting there. Anyway, as you might expect from what I told you regarding his conversation with Garbiella, he isn't only worried about a girl's looks. In addition, he quickly realized just how much enjoyment I was getting out of watching Elaina and him squirm with their feelings. Well, Elaina more than him."  
Mary stared at her for a second, then gasped. "Oh! Don't tell me you're falling for him too?"  
Rebecca smirked. "If Elaina doesn't make a move soon, I'll force her."  
Mary's eyes widened. "You wouldn't... mark him, would you?"  
Rebecca shrugged. "As long as Elaina hasn't claimed him, then he's a free agent in my book. And if she doesn't soon...well, I assume she'd be pissed if she found out."  
"Pissed? She'd be royally ticked! Remember Drake?"  
Rebecca waved her hand dismissively. "She dumped him before I even approached him. I still don't see what she got so mad about."  
"Just think! If she was that mad about someone she'd dumped, then can you imagine someone she hadn't even asked out yet?"  
Rebecca shrugged, then turned to walk onto a lawn. She turned her head to cast one last remark over her shoulder. "Tell Elaina she has less than a month to make her move." Then she opened the door to the house she was standing in front of, and closed the door.  
Mary groaned, and began walking in the direction of the manor. "Well, Elaina," she grumbled, "don't shoot the messenger..."

~~~~Later, At The Manor~~~~

"A month!?" Elaina exclaimed. "She would dare give me a time limit?"  
Mary shrugged. "Technically, you haven't made a move, so he is 'on the market,' so to speak. Besides, she said less than a month. Judging from what I know about her, I'd say you have two weeks...at the most."  
Elaina's eyes narrowed. "How could she do this?"  
Mary shrugged again. "She likes him too. And I guess, in her own way, she's making sure no one else tries to get him. I mean, Gabriella's already tried, so it's only a matter of time before someone else does as well."  
Elaina put her head in her hands for a moment before replying. "Someone already did."  
Mary's eyes shot up. "When?"  
"His first day. He saw Anna and Sarah bullying me, and he intervened."  
Mary nodded. "And?"  
"They tried to get him to go home with them. I was afraid he'd turn his back on me. Join the crowd. But, he passed on their offer. He'd rather become an outcast at school, just to spend time with me...I think that's when I truly fell for him. I just couldn't understand why he'd do that for me."  
Mary shrugged. "Maybe it's pity."  
Elaina groaned. "Please don't say that. I don't think I could bear it if that were his reason."  
"Who's reason for what?" A voice cut into their conversation. They whipped around to find Alexander leaned against the door frame. "I hope you aren't talking about me."  
Elaina's eyes widened, and she turned away, acting as though she were busy digging through her bag for something, leaving Mary to answer.  
"Of course not. What would give you that idea?" She asked.  
Alexander shrugged. "The evasive answer, the way Elaina's acting distracted with something in her bag instead of answering me, you know, just the small things."  
Mary eyed him. "And if I said we were?"  
Alexander shrugged again. "Not much I can do about it. Besides, I try not to concern myself with what others think. I only came in here to tell Elaina that it was time to eat."  
Elaina finally looked up. "Oh, well, I'll be down in a minute."  
Alexander nodded, and turned to go, pausing only to say, "Mary, Mrs. Valdaren said you were welcome to stay for supper as well, if you wanted," before he disappeared down the hall.  
Mary was silent for a few moments. "I can see why both of you are interested in him."  
"Let's not go there again." Elaina zipped up her backpack, and headed for the door, motioning Mary to follow. "Now come on. I hate eating at the same table with my parents and a male. Maybe if you're there, it'll disuade certain topics of conversation."  
Mary shrugged, and followed. "I'm game."

End of Chapter Three


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